weeabhoo: (speaking//looks like we're ahead of sche)
Jinnto Lynn Syunn Dru Rock Haidr ([personal profile] weeabhoo) wrote in [community profile] crux_fleet2014-02-12 10:38 pm

[video]

[OOC: This is a joint post. Jinto's dialog is in dark grey, Lafiel's in blue. Replies may be from either of them or both.]

[Closeup on Jinto and Lafiel next to an observation window. Jinto, as usual, is nervously smiling, knowing he's addressing potentially thousands. Lafiel on the other hand, looks calm and professional -- and a bit annoyed -- as if this is a necessary yet slightly unpleasant task to accomplish.]

Ah, hello everyone. I'm Front Wing Flyer Jinto Lynn, part of the Abh space navy and also on loan to the fleet while I'm here. This is my captain, Deca Commander Lafiel Abriel.

[Lafiel nods at the introduction]

In addition to Front Wing Flyer Lynn and myself, our ship, the Basroil, was also brought in the accident.

[Pan to a ship, floating outside the window. Then back to them.]

It's a destroyer, hundreds of meters long, armed with several point defense guns and one large antiproton main gun, embedded within the body. Normally it requires a crew of 20 to operate. It could be a valuable asset to the fleet. Only there's a small problem with the controls...

Abh warships use an interface that requires both a user with frosh -- the spacio-sensory organ that genetic Abh possess -- and an alpha which connects to the ship's sensors to allow piloting and targeting of weapons.

[Lafiel had paused at 'frosh', as if she had to remember to explain herself. She also gestured to her tiara at the word 'alpha', indicating that was the device in question.]

Obviously, I can pilot Basroil with the existing controls, but I am the only genetic Abh currently present. Thus, the weapons are inoperative using their existing interface.

That means the Basroil can move and fire but not do both at the same time. While most of the crew positions do not require the frosh interface, there are several on the bridge that do, as does piloting the included shuttle.

That's why we need your help. In order to make this ship functional for the fleet's use, we need to either modify the controls to allow for manual control by a genetically unmodified human...oid. Or find volunteers who have interfaces that may be compatible.


Of course, we will be interviewing people before allowing them to use or modify Basroil's controls.

[Which might provide some insight into Lafiel's mood. Someone was a bit territorial about letting strange foreigners on her ship, even if she had obviously acknowledged she needed to. Such "face work" is, of course, Jinto's responsibility. Oh stars Lafiel, please don't scare anyone away, he thinks.]

We can't offer much more than a token compensation. But our gratitude will be considerable. Thank you very much.

[He looks over at Lafiel. Thank them, Captain. People like feeling appreciated.]

Thank you for your attention.
stellarcoffee: (The Ferengi in the gorilla suit.)

[personal profile] stellarcoffee 2014-03-22 06:21 am (UTC)(link)
[The praise gets an acknowledging headtilt. The truth is, she didn't understand why they did it at the time her commander ordered it -- they'd just spent three days shooting at each other -- but the significance definitely sunk in.]

It's not rude at all. What you need to know is Starfleet isn't a true military organization, though we do have old Earth naval traditions rolled into the chain of command. The truth is, we're more explorers than soldiers. But space is more than a little big, and sometimes you have to be able to field whoever's in the sector for whatever comes up.

Some ships are dedicated to a single purpose, but most have some general utility, and the Academy's training reflects that. We might be out charting a nebula when a ship under attack calls for help. But we might just as easily be called on to provide medical or mechanical humanitarian aid, or serve as a diplomatic delegate.

[Grin.]

Think of it this way. If you've got a cloaked ship raiding colonies, a captain who's focused on combat experience might study the tactics and anticipate the next move to stop them. Someone who came up the ranks in engineering and operations might recall a design flaw in the enemy's cloaking device and exploit it.

And if you've focused on science, you just might adjust your sensors to focus on residual particles from the enemy's propulsion system and follow it on home like a trail of breadcrumbs.
Edited (Fixing an omission.) 2014-03-22 06:24 (UTC)
ungrounded: Lafiel (Default)

[personal profile] ungrounded 2014-03-22 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I assume you'd also have officers to suggest multiple strategies, especially since an officer usually only takes one path through the military.

Do your captains have a rank in your civil government then?

[Lafiel's had to serve as a diplomat, but mostly in wartime situations, handling territorial transfers, mostly because Lafiel and Jinto together meant that they had a Count and a Princess with a viscounty, and Lafiel was not the worst choice for diplomacy among Abh captains. She just hated doing it.]
stellarcoffee: (wry)

[personal profile] stellarcoffee 2014-03-22 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Typically not. We might have temporary assignments, or a measure of authority granted by special circumstances -- sometimes you've got to negotiate something in the field to stop a conflict, or you might need to serve as a representative at a conference. But for the most part, we serve the government, and we won't keep a position in it while our Starfleet commissions are active.

[But then, Starfleet tends to attract people who'd chafe at being tied down to a desk. Who really wants to give up flying around?]

It's hard to govern if you and your ship have to be moving on to the next sector next week.
stellarcoffee: (cute)

[personal profile] stellarcoffee 2014-03-23 06:58 am (UTC)(link)
[Janeway laughs. Maybe there's one thing for the Federation to learn from the Abh.]

I'd love to. With the captain's permission, of course.
ungrounded: Lafiel (Default)

[personal profile] ungrounded 2014-03-24 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Lafiel nodded]

Please. I would welcome you aboard.

[Because it is her ship, and she does like showing it off. And, foreigner or not, Janeway is a ship's captain.]
stellarcoffee: (Delete the wife.)

[personal profile] stellarcoffee 2014-03-25 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
[It seemed so small from a distance -- but maybe that was perspective speaking. The Fleet has large ships, quite simply. But weren't they saying earlier it takes a fraction of even Voyager's standard crew complement...? Touring the ship is looking more and more intriguing. Janeway moves to follow, though she'll get fairly clumsy going into zero g.]

I should have thought to bring gravity boots.
ungrounded: (landers are weird)

[personal profile] ungrounded 2014-03-26 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Lafiel, on the other hand, moves as if she was born in microgravity. Which... well, actually she did spend most of her infancy in it to help develop her senses and her internal sense of physics.]

The Basroil has artificial gravity. But, don't they train your people in zero-gravity maneuvering?

[Lafiel was willing to assume some clumsiness based on the fact she knew most non-Abh grew up on planets, but she had assumptions about training.]
stellarcoffee: (Delete the wife.)

[personal profile] stellarcoffee 2014-03-26 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[Aw, Jinto. That's very polite, but Janeway doesn't feel she needs excuses made for her. Best to be upfront about her shortcoming.]

We have zero-g training, but it's not the sort of skill we get regular experience in. Call it a flaw in advancing technology -- some of these things end up getting a bit rusty.

[She'll catch up to them eventually, sticking near a wall to minimize fumbling, and when she slips into the bridge, she's taking a good look around, taking mental notes. This, she thinks, is the important part.]

Voyager hasn't been in a good position for zero-g drills, anyway. It gets impractical to interrupt operations for it when you're on your own and there's backup systems.

I'll just have to try to brush up on it.